Factors Impacting the Completion of First-Time, Full-Time Students at a Suburban Small Two-Year Public Community College in Michigan

Student completion is a critical issue for community colleges across America. First-time,
full-time students commonly enter college planning to earn a degree; however, the majority
never complete. A review of the literature reveals the complexities with student completion, and
the variety of challenges campuses must navigate. The community college focus has shifted from
access to success, as leaders continue to implement strategies to remove barriers and address the
many challenges to completion.
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore factors impacting the
completion of first-time, full-time students at a small suburban two-year public community
college in Michigan. This study investigates over 1,100 unique students from three IPEDS cohort
years to provide insight into variables that may have a relationship to student completion. The
data elements for the study were extracted from the student information system at one
community college, and direct student feedback was collected via an e-mail survey. Both were
analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods.
The study revealed a few key findings to assist with improving future community college
student completion rates. First, students who achieve academic success during their initial fall
semester are more likely to graduate, while those who earn fewer than 12 credit hours during
their first semester rarely reach the finish line. Second, the pace at which students earn credits
over their first two years of enrollment are both strong indicators of whether they will graduate.
Finally, the number of course withdrawals has a direct correlation to completion. Specifically,
students with zero withdrawals finish at a high rate, while those with three or more first year “W” grades rarely graduate. The study concludes with the researcher’s recommendations for community college leaders to consider, as well as ideas for future research to improve student
completion.